Dual Control of Native Policy: A Phase of Responsible Government in New Zealand

Abstract

A Commission to enquire into the working of the Department of Native Affairs was established by the New Zealand Parliament as a result of certain charges made against the Native Minister, Sir Apirana Ngata in 1933. In its report this Commission declared that a policy of assistance towards the natives was just as necessary at the present time as it was during the earlier years of the Colony's development. This statement aroused my interest and as a result I decided to investigate the progress of native policy from the establishment of Parliament in New Zealand in order to ascertain what had been done to assist the natives. During this investigation one of the many interesting points encountered was that concerning the responsibility for the control and management of native affairs. In 1852 the Imperial Parliament had granted New Zealand a form of representative government, but in the Constitution Act no mention of responsible government appeared. This however was granted after the first Assembly had raised the question. In the Constitution Act, the control of native affairs was reserved to the Queen with power to delegate this control to her representative, the Governor, and again when responsible government was granted, native affairs were reserved to the Governor. Thus it was an incomplete form of responsibility that the colony had secured, and many years passed before a complete form was attained. I found that the first movement towards responsibility had been dealt with in detail by many writers but the surrendering of native control does not seem to have claimed so much attention. The object of this paper is to endeavour to trace the course of events leading to the adoption of a policy of “Self Reliance" by the colony and the acceptance of that policy by the Imperial Authorities by granting responsibility for native affairs to the Assembly of New Zealand. The movement extends over a fairly long period and falls into two sections - the first 1854-1864, the second 1865-1970. This paper is confined to the first of these as it was at the end of that period that the colony informed the Imperial Authorities of its desire to become self-reliant, a request acceded to by the latter. During the second period this principle of control was hindered in its working owing to the defeat of the weld ministry, the unfortunate differences of opinion between the Governor, Sir Georg Grey, and the Officer Commanding the Imperial Forces in New Zealand, Genera1 Cameron and the resulting difficulties which arose with the Governor, the Colonia1 Assembly and the Imperia1 Government. Nevertheless the policy was maintained as a feature of the relations between the Mother Country and the Colony and since the departure of the last regiment of Imperial troops in 1870, complete control of native affairs has rested with the Colony.